On 2013-07-08 04:48, Atomic Mess wrote:Aloha- Yep, Mahogany, as you said on your thread, it's hard

That's what I was affraid of. I got a piece of mahogany for Christmas last year and thought I recognized it. I have been avoiding it until I carve up the scraps of found wood that have been around here for years. Eventually, I'll have to get at it the mahogany.

You should go for it, it's a nice wood to work with. Some pieces are harder than others. Also if your tools are sharp, sometimes you'll be able to push the chisel through the wood without using a mallet.

I tried basswood awhile ago and I couldn't get on with it, it was so soft I couldn't carve an edge on it...

I've never tried to copy something directly before, it was weird and felt like there was more pressure not to make a mistake. Normally if something gets messed up I can adapt it into something else but not in this case...

I learned a lot from doing this and I've got massive respect for you guys on here who manage to get your proportions and symmetry just right!